The bedroom is typical of a 1960s ranch house, in that broad, low-riding picture windows monopolize wall space, making it difficult to devise window treatments and position the furniture. Add to that this particular room's detractions—clutter, an eclectic bare-bones assortment of furnishings, and insufficient seating—and you have a job for the Home Team.

Follow along as, from left, editor-in-chief Donna Sapolin, stylist Kim Freeman, and features editor Linda Whitmarsh turn challenges into solutions by rearranging the furniture, adding a few choice pieces, softening the windows, and uplifting the decor with bright new bedding and accessories.

Challenge: Working with the Windows
The head of the bed interfered with the room's best feature—a view of the backyard. A small window was partially blocked by items stacked on a bureau that held infrequently worn clothing. Curtain panels couldn't be closed, compromising privacy and light-control. An overly tall table was awkwardly set off-center between the windows; it wasn't useful as a nightstand or a corner filler. The room lacked a focal point, seating, and color.

Solution: Establish the Focal Point
Claiming the garden view as the room's focal point, the Home Team reoriented the headboard against an interior wall perpendicular to the view. New floor-length linen drapes frame the vista; their rings glide along bamboo rods for closure. Ditching the side table and the bureau and most of its contents (saved items went into the room's closets) made way for a small seating area. A low-slung chair and armless settee add intimacy and color without taking up too much space. A metal folding screen with canvas panels elegantly bridges the corner.

Challenge: Misfit Furnishings
The marble-top Victorian side table was lovely, but the style and scale were all wrong for this space. It was intended as a corner-filling nightstand but placed so far away from the bed that a footstool and the windowsills held bedtime necessities instead. Rather than help the table command the corner, the kitchy lamp on top contributed to the aesthetic discord.

Solution: Right-Size & Restyle
The team placed nightstands on either side of the bed. They then swapped the table for a smaller cottage-style piece that anchors the seating area and is big enough to hold books and a vase of flowers.

Challenge: Wasted Wall Space
The closet wall had never accommodated the full-length mirror and built-in storage the owner dreamed of. This undeveloped real estate, with its backyard vista, was a catchall for laundry and magazines.

Solution: Repurpose & Refresh
Relocating the bed to the closet wall gave the wall a new decorative purpose: to frame the bed. Matching nightstands and table lamps reinforce the symmetry created by the louvered closet doors bracketing the wall. An upholstered bench at the foot of the bed provides a convenient place to put on and take off shoes. Framed artwork, sheets, shams, and blankets in vivid colors and patterns complete the composition.